Every day, Carver County residents throw away gently used home furnishings that have the potential to change a family’s life! Please consider donating your gently used home furnishings to our FurniShare ministry. The following items are currently on our “most needed” list:

Twin mattresses and box springs

Twin metal bed frames

Nightstands

Coffee tables and end tables

Countertop microwaves

Donations must be clean and in good condition. Please call FurniShare at (952) 974-7829 to make arrangements to have your items picked up (a $25 fee does apply to cover fuel costs) or drop them off during normal business hours. (FurniShare, 7890 Market Boulevard, Chanhassen).

Imagine not having a bed for your child to sleep in…without a proper night’s sleep, it’s hard for children to concentrate, making success at school difficult. Twin mattresses, box springs, and metal bed frames are one of the most common furniture requests we receive. But right now, we have a critical shortage. We have ZERO twin mattresses currently. That’s right – ZERO. Not being able to provide a child a place to rest her head breaks our heart. If you have a twin mattress you are no longer using, please consider donating it to FurniShare.

With your support this Give to the Max Day, we can make the Christmas season a little brighter for Carver county families in need!

You can help us fill a table with holiday food! This Christmas season, Love INC will provide 150 families in need with a holiday basket filled with nutritious, healthy fresh and frozen foods. By making a donation on Give to the Max Day, your gift will help us ensure one less family spends this Christmas with empty plates and empty stomachs.

Each year, generous supporters like you celebrate Give to the Max Day by making your online donation on GiveMN.org. Your generosity on this day makes a difference far beyond the 24-hour giving event!

Please join us on November 16, 2017, for Give to the Max Day and help us continue to transform lives and our community in the name of Christ. Our goal is to raise $6,000 to help fund our Christmas food baskets this year, and you can help us reach it! Be sure to mark your calendar and make your gift on November 16 by visiting GiveMN.org and scheduling your donation.

Love INC is working with local churches, organizations, and families to collect clean, new or gently used coats, gloves, hats, scarves, snow pants and boots, and dollars to support the coat drive program from now until October 22nd at various locations around Eastern Carver County. Infant, toddler, youth, men’s and women’s coats are accepted. The process is simple: drop off your extra coat(s) and winter wear and Love INC takes care of the rest! All donated coats will be given to local children and adults in need. If you do not have a coat to donate, you can help provide a warmer winter by texting “WARMCOAT” to 41444 to donate $10 or more to Love INC, or by clicking here. Our goal is to collect 1000 coats and $500 during our coat drive.

Additional drop-off locations are being added, so check back frequently if you don’t see a location near you!

NEED A COAT?

Winter coats will be distributed to individuals and families in need on Saturday, November 4, 2017, at St. John’s Lutheran Church in downtown Chaska. Individuals and families living in eastern Carver County (Carver, Chanhassen, Chaska and Victoria) should register for coats by clicking HERE or by calling (952) 448-3261. Families and individuals who have registered will be able to pick up their coats from 9 am until 11 am on November 4th. From 11 am – 12 pm, coats will be available to the general public on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last.

After celebrating 10 years of serving our community, Love in the Name of Christ of Eastern Carver County is now looking to the future, in partnership with you, as to how we can continue to show unconditional love and support to those in need around us.

The mission of Love INC of Eastern Carver County is to mobilize the church to transform lives and our community in the name of Christ. We partner with more than 25 local churches to support and empower their volunteers to meet the physical, social, emotional, and spiritual needs of our neighbors in need.

Love INC is actively engaged in developing our strategy for the future. We know that the best things are accomplished when a committee community comes together, putting those who are hurting and in need, at the forefront. We recognize that to build a robust and meaningful strategy, we need our community to weigh-in, and give us your guidance.

So, we humbly ask for your valuable input into what we focus on, how we serve, and who we become, in order to be that beacon in the community where our brothers and sisters always know they can come for help.

On behalf of our gracious Board of Directors, we thank you in advance, and I leave you with the following comment from a person served by Love INC and its partner churches:

“Although you may not hear it as often as you should, you’re appreciated so much. I wish I had a new way to say thank you, a way that would really express how much your kindness has meant to me. You have a way of touching lives, of making days a little brighter, hearts a little happier, and problems seem a whole lot smaller.”

The Linen Closet, a Love INC ministry hosted by Chaska Moravian Church, is in urgent need of queen sheet sets and blankets. They are completely out, which means if a Love INC client requests queen bedding, their need is currently going unmet until we have sheets and blankets in stock!

Donations of new or gently used queen sheets and blankets can be dropped off at Chaska Moravian Church (115 E. 4th Street, Chaska) anytime Monday – Friday between the hours of 9 am – 2 pm.

Thank you for helping us serve those in need in our community. Collectively, we are the hands and feet of Jesus!

Luke 6:38 “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”

We are pleased to have partnered with the Chaska Community Center for our back-to-school supply drive. From August 20th – August 26th, donate school supplies at the CCC and receive free open skate admission! If you’re already a CCC member, you’ll receive a coupon to bring a friend to open skate. Happy skating!

Love INC is looking for a Youth Activities Leader intern to help lead the activities at our Summer Lunch Program!

This summer, Love INC has partnered with District 112 to bring free lunches and activities to children in our community. The program is held at Riverview Terrace every Monday through Friday, 12 pm – 2 pm through the end of August. Each day, the students receive a free bag lunch and then stay to play games, participate in crafts, and have fun!

Sound like something you might be interested in? Here’s the details:

Hours: 10-15 hours weekly

Salary: Unpaid internship

Location: Chaska

Primary Responsibilities:

Develop and lead youth activities during summer lunch program. This will include games, crafts, and educational activities.

Engage and interact with youth during the summer lunch program.

Assist with volunteer management for volunteers assisting in the summer lunch program.

Participate in team meetings and brainstorming sessions related to summer lunch program planning.

Other duties as assigned by Love INC staff.

Experience:

Must be 20 years of age or older.

Must pass a criminal background check and National Sex Offenders check prior to starting intership.

Must be legally able to work in the United States.

Must be available Monday through Friday, 12 pm – 2 pm during summer lunch program times. Additional planning time will be required outside of these times and may be scheduled at your discretion.

Must have reliable transportation to and from lunch program location.

Ideal candidates are self-motivated, independent, and open-minded adults who share a love for youth development and making a difference in their community.

Candidates should be able to show attention to detail, have strong written and verbal communication skills, and be comfortable interacting with children of all ages, ethnic, and socio-economic backgrounds.

Must be energetic, active, and outgoing.

Ability to speak Spanish a plus, but not required.

Special attention will be given to candidates with a background in education or non-profit management, or those who are working towards said degrees.

To apply, please e-mail a resume and brief cover letter to info@loveincecc.org.

Discovery United Methodist Church (275 Lake Drive East, Chanhassen) is hosting and coordinating the distribution of school supplies and backpacks to families in need in Eastern Carver County this coming August! This year, they will be distributing 1000 backpacks, so we need your help to fill them with school supplies!

Donated supplies need to be dropped off at Discovery United Methodist Church in Chanhassen by August 7th. Check back on our Love INC website in a few weeks to sign up to volunteer to assemble and distribute backpacks!

Will you help a child start the school year with confidence that they have the supplies they need for learning? Click HERE to sign up to donate school supplies to our Back Pack Give Back!